The Heat in the Storm
by rhapsodybree
Summary: My little series of oneshots about Richard Castle and Kate Beckett.
1. First Impressions

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Rushing into the precinct that morning, her head full of the millions of things that she needs to do, Detective Kate Beckett swore under her breath as she noticed the time.

Reaching her office, she dropped her bag, files and the precious coffee onto her desk.

This was not how she'd planned to start the day.

She was supposed to be this strong, independent woman who handled anything that came her way with grace and poise. _Well, most women didn't have to spend half the night being the escort of a famous author, with women throwing themselves all over him, did they?_ she snorted. She admitted that it had been fun watching him rebuff them all, and keep her firmly glued to his side, but all thoughts of fun and games had quickly disappeared when they'd spent the other half of the night dealing with not one, but two, sick children.

Dabbing at the juice stain on her shirt with a wet tissue, Beckett looks up when Detective Esposito knocks on the door. 'He'll be here in ten.'

'Ta.'

'Problems?'

'Alexis has the flu, and Sebastian woke up at 2am this morning throwing up. It hasn't been a good morning.'

'Ah. Hopefully the day gets better.'

Dismissing Esposito, and giving up trying to fix the stain on her shirt, she turned to the task at hand, gathering her files together as she prepared to meet the new DA.

Hearing the phone ring, and wishing she could ignore it, but knowing that she had to answer it, Kate quickly picked up the handset and spoke curtly.

'Detective Beckett.'

'Hey. Did you get in okay?'

'Rick,' she said, nerves settling as she listened to his voice. 'Yep, I'm here. No more disasters. How are the monsters?'

'One's asleep, and the other is currently begging for honey on toast, so I'm in kitchen obeying her demands. You ready?'

'Hopefully. We can't afford to piss off this DA. Not with the Dustbin killings going to trial.'

'Mmm. Yes I'm coming, you ungrateful child!' yelled Rick loudly as he laughed. 'Apparently I'm not doing this quickly enough for her majesty! She must be feeling better. Damn, Sebastian just woke up. I've got to go. Love you.'

'Love you too,' said Kate, ending the call, a small smile on her face.

'Ah, so this is where I can find the best detective in the precinct!' Startling at the new voice, Kate turns to the doorway, identifying what must be the new DA.

'Michael Crawley, the new DA,' said the new arrival, stretching out his hand.

'Detective Kate Beckett,' she responded, as she shook the proffered hand.

Maybe once she would have gone for that type – the smooth, educated, well spoken man – but now she felt nothing. Introducing him to her team, she listened as he had no qualms in sharing his background and history in what sounded like such a pompous tone.

Clearly, Rick Castle was starting to rub off on her. She could almost hear his voice in her head. 'If he got that stick out of his ass long enough, he might realise that he's not as good as he thinks he is! Pfft, ladies don't care about how many frames you've got on your walls. They want adventure and excitement. Just what I can provide, if I don't say so myself. But don't worry, only for you though, Katie.'

Shaking her head as she escaped what felt like a mini-JD Scrubs moment, Kate turned her attention to updating Michael Crawley on the Dustbin killings.

The day went from bad to worse as they caught a murder suicide where the family had been butchered to death. It wasn't pleasant.

Hoping she wasn't catching Alexis's flu, an exhausted Kate trooped after Ryan and Esposito into the station late that afternoon.

Taking in the sight of a dozen red roses on her desk, she teared up. Reading the note that accompanied them, she felt better instantly.

_Things can only get better. R A S x_


	2. Whirlwind

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Seb.

************

Rick Castle stumbles into the kitchen one morning, carrying a crying Sebastian in his arms.

Flicking on the kettle to boil water for his son's milk and hitting the espresso machine for his morning caffeine hit, Rick continues to jostle Seb in his arms.

Kate rushes into the kitchen ready for work. Grabbing an apple on the way out, she quickly kisses both of her boys before rushing out the door.

Rick looks down at Seb. 'There goes your mama the tornado.'

Alexis flew into the kitchen next, snatching a yoghurt from the fridge from under her father's arms as he reached for Seb's bottle. 'Bye Dad.'

Shaking his head, Rick said: 'And that tornado was your sister.'

The kettle whistled.

By the time Martha groggily walked into the kitchen 20 minutes later, it was to the sight of a happily sucking Sebastian in his father's lap and an engrossed Rick reading the paper.


	3. Caffeine

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Kate Beckett's due date is just days away as she pulls on a pair of comfortable leggings and a long length, long sleeve grey shirt. She was going for a walk!

It had taken some unsucessful begging, before finally a threat to wipe the hard drive, for Richard Castle to tear himself away from his laptop and accompany her.

Walking down the path and enjoying the slight breeze, Castle's solid arm around her shoulder, she cursed her sudden desire to walk. Travelling wasn't quite so easy these days!

Pausing for a moment, she leans sideways against Rick's chest. Brushing her hair from her face, she grips the back of his jeans as he rests his hand on the bump that is their child, his other arm crossed over her back as it held his coffee.

'I want coffee,' she says suddenly. She feels Castle's snort of a response before she hears it. 'I think not.'

Tilting her head upwards she pouts, feeling like a child, but beyond caring.

'Caffeine's not good for you or bub,' was the response, complete with a peck on the nose as she scrunched up her face.

She was happy to leave it at that, but when Castle lifted his own takeaway cup of coffee to his lips with a smirk and a raised eyebrow as he took a sip, she decided this was war!

Looking up at his smug look, she made a grab for the cup, but he was too fast for her.

Stepping back, he took a huge gulp as Kate stepped into him.

'Hey watch the wide load!' he objected.

Taking one last drink, he aimed at a trashcan and threw the cup. 'Score!'

Glaring at his victorious look, Kate stepped away from his body.

But then with a new plan in mind she leaned forward again, running her hands up Castle's chest, getting close as her swollen abdomen permitted, before twining her fingers at the nape of his neck.

Pulling his willing mouth down to hers, she kisses him, tongues duelling as they both fought for control.

Pulling back, her tongue darts out over her lower lip. 'Mmm, caffeine,' she murmured against his lips, officially in heaven.

'Oh, so that's all I'm good for, hm? I'm your personal espresso machine?'

'Oh no, you're much more than that, but I'm hard pressed to think of any other good purposes for you at the moment,' said Kate, patting his cheek in a patronising manner. 'Get back to me later on that point. Hell, blame it on the pregnancy brain.'

'You, my dear, have never suffered a single day of pregnancy brain, and I doubt you're about to start now.'

'Hey, you know what they say, don't mess with a pregnant lady – especially an armed and dangerous one.'

'I'm quivering in my shoes,' said Castle in mock fear, hand on his heart.

Unable to stop her grin, Kate shakes her head as they commence their journey once again. Winding her fingers through his as they continue walking, Kate ponders the rightness of it all. Sure, they fought like cats and dogs, and could hardly ever agree on anything, but at the end of the day, this was home.


	4. Personality

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

My attempt at an exactly 100 word Castle drabble.

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In her element as they prep for an undercover operation, Detective Kate Beckett reels off her list of requests to Detectives Ryan and Esposito.

'Okay, I need a bus, a tech guy, uniforms ...'

'A personality!' interjected Richard Castle with a smirk.

'... weapons and a place to lock up Castle for the afternoon. Can you handle that?'

Objecting loudly as the detectives make a move toward him, Castle throws his hands up in surrender. 'I'll be good. I swear - pinky promise!'

Groaning, Kate turns to the papers in front of her.

That man was going to be the death of her.


	5. Orders

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I'm in a fluffy mood, so the next few chapters will most likely be simple, sweet and short oneshots – with very little actual purpose!

**********************

Slipping onto the edge of his chair, and shifting his laptop, Kate leans down and runs her hands through Castle's hair.

'Hey. What time is it?' asked Castle sleepily.

'Late,' she responded.

Doing his best to cover a yawn, Castle nods. 'Far too early to be having a conversation.'

'Come on. Let's go to bed,' she said standing.

Not even fully awake, Castle still manages to come up with a wisecrack. 'Why Kate Beckett, you tease! Trying to talk me into your bed?'

Pointing at her slightly rounded abdomen, Kate snorts. 'Bit late for that!'

Allowing her to pull him up from the chair, he wraps her in a bear hug as Kate struggles futilely in his grip. 'Snuggling my babies,' says Castle in a sappy tone.

'What drug have you been inhaling?!' said Kate, rolling her eyes as she shifted to look into his face close by.

'Can't I just be high on love?'

'High on love? Rick...' But before she can continue, he's picked her up in his arms and starts walking to their bedroom, ignoring her demands that he put her down.

He never was that good at following orders.


	6. Later

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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'Are you serious?' asked Kate Beckett.

'Does this look like the face of someone who would lie to you?' responded Richard Castle with an oversized grin.

'You really want me to answer that?'

'Good point,' responded Castle. 'Moving on!'

_Later on:_

'Remind me again why we're here?' whispers Castle into Beckett's ear, leaning in close.

'Because you went against my orders and pissed off Mr Fentworth,' responded Beckett in a sugary sweet tone.

Castle raised his finger in the air, thinking about his response. 'Right,' he said finally, finger dropping as he leaned back into his seat.

Needless to say, Rick Castle was on his best behaviour for the rest of the evening.

_Later on again:_

'Am I forgiven yet?'

'No.'

'How about now?'

'Nope.'

Pause.

'Now?'

'No! Castle, I will advise you when you've become a pleasant enough person so as not to piss me off anymore. Then I will forgive you,' declared Beckett. 'I wouldn't hold your breath,' she added as an afterthought.

Castle grinned. This was going to be fun!

_Even more later on:_

Lying on Castle's chest in bed, Kate murmured. 'I still haven't forgiven you.'

'That's okay. I have enough forgiveness for us both!'


	7. Risky Business

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Note: Pre-relationship.

***************

Knocking on Richard Castle's door, Detective Kate Beckett waited patiently for someone to answer.

Hearing noises, she presses her ear to the door, before stepping back quickly as the door is opened by a laughing Alexis.

Opening her mouth to ask where her father is, said man makes his voice heard from the back of the house. 'Hey pumpkin. Guess which movie?'

Turning to the sound of his voice, Kate stifles a giggle as Rick Castle makes his arrival flying over the polished floors in socks, a white shirt, sans pants and sunglasses. Stopping in the centre of the hall, facing away from his unknown guest, he strikes a pose.

'I have no idea which movie that is from, but I can tell you one thing – it must have been a pretty bad one if everyone's dressed like that!' giggled Alexis.

'It's Risky Business,' whispered Kate loudly into Alexis' ears. 'Though your father's not quite Tom Cruise.'

Turning suddenly at the new voice, Kate takes great joy in the sight of Castle trying not to lose his balance on the slippery floors. Making a quick recovery, he slides his way down the hall quite successfully until in that last moment when he starts up his air guitar and promptly slipped, landing on his ass in front of Beckett.

Standing as quickly as possible, Castle grins cockily, but his feet slide a little more to the right and ruin the effect.

'Come here missy,' said Castle to his daughter. 'I need a stand.' Wrapping his arm around Alexis, ignoring the roll of her eyes, and finally balanced, Castle turned to Beckett. 'You rang?'

'You left your phone at the precinct. We've got a dead body. I'm your lift.'

'Aw Katie needs my company.'

'Don't call me that,' she retorted. 'Wasn't my suggestion. Chief told me to swing by. Apparently your skills will be needed,' she added as Castle clapped his hand gleefully, squishing his poor daughter's head against his chest in his enthusiasm.

'Oi Dad,' she complained, pushing away from his body.

'Sorry munchikin,' he said unapologetically. Reaching for his wallet and jacket, Castle took off his sunglasses and prepared to walk out the door.

'Don't you think you're slightly underdressed?' asked Kate, giving him a onceover.

'Why? Worried what people might think of us if I arrived like this? Oh the scandal,' he said dramatically.

Kate's raised eyebrow has him heading toward his bedroom. 'Geez woman. Nothing I ever do is good enough for you.'

'I heard that,' yelled Kate.

'You were supposed to,' was the yell back.

Turning to Alexis, Kate apologised. 'Sorry.'

'Don't be,' she said. 'Umm, good luck!'

'I'm going to need it, aren't I?'

'Yep!' was Alexis's grinning response as Castle reappeared. 'Let's go get us some dead bodies,' he declared imperiously.

Kissing his daughter on his way out, he issued his instructions. 'No answering the door, no answering the phone, no answering the windows, no answering any two way radios we might have about. Grandma will be home within the hour.'

'Yes Dad. I'm a big girl you know?'

'Hell, she's more responsible than you are,' added Kate for good measure, as Castle lamented that his two girls have now ganged up on him.

Alexis pushed him to the door as he turned with more instructions. 'Do your homework. Don't stay up too late. No drinking, no smoking, no drugs, no ...'

This time it was Kate who stepped forward and pulled him out by his scarf, before pushing him down the hall to the elevator. 'Bye Alexis,' said Kate with an understanding roll of her eyes.

'Bye Kate. Bye Dad. Behave!' was Alexis's cheerful farewell.

'You too, monster!' was Castle's reply, calling down the hall, head poking out of the elevator doors, before Beckett pulled him back in as the elevator doors closed.


	8. Snap

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

There were requests for more Sebastian stories, so I've encouraged my muse to focus in this direction, as I wouldn't want to disappoint my readership!

This is what I came up with!

***************

Looking at the photo, Rick Castle grinned in remembrance.

Alexis had gone wild with the camera he'd brought for her. She was doing a photography class at school, and so his daughter had taken it upon herself to snap everything and anything around the house.

They'd been some nightmare shots – particularly that one photo where he'd lunged at her, fed up with the constant flashing, and as a result looked like a serial killer heading for the carmera – and some pretty gruesome looking shots, the shot of a pre-caffeine Kate entering the kitchen one morning popping to mind.

But there were also some brilliant shots and this photo he'd framed and added to the small collection on his desk was one of them.

It had been a quiet weekend – apart from the constant snapping! – and he and Kate were in the lounge room with Sebastian. Their baby boy was crawling and sitting up, but had not yet stood on his own two feet.

As Kate grasped Seb's hands and urged him onto his two feet, Rick pulled funny faces at his son from where his head rested on Kate's shoulder. As Seb wobbled on his feet, laughing as if it was all a big joke, he couldn't help but look on in pride.

And when Seb looked to be falling backward, he couldn't stop himself from reaching around Kate to put his hands out – just in case!

But then satisfied he wasn't going to fall, he let his hand rest on Kate's upper thigh as he commenced pulled funny faces at his grinning son once again.

This was the image that his talented daughter had captured: his mouth opened in mock surprise on Kate's shoulder, Kate's grin as she held onto Seb's hands firmly, and Seb's little grinning face as he tentatively bounced on the balls of his feet.

He dared any professional photographer to do a better job.

Placing the photo frame back on his desk, he stretched out his arms and turned his eyes to his laptop. Now if only he could just get this chapter to write itself, he'd be able to leave this room and go join his favourite people.

'Once upon a time...?'


	9. Tag team

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

***********

Looking at the time, Alexis Castle groaned as she tried to focus on the books before her, various numbers and mathematical formulas swimming before her eyes.

Covering her ears as yet another cry came from her baby brother, Alexis turned to her open doorway where she saw Kate handing Seb to her dad.

Ever since Sebastian's first tooth had decided that it was going to make its slow arrival, Seb had been a cranky baby. And tonight looked like it was going to be the worst night yet. Dad and Kate had taken to tag-teaming, switching him every two hours or so as Seb refused to be put down.

'Was I this bad?' she asked as her father as walked by the door, jostling the whimpering baby.

'Oh no. You were much worse!' he replied, stepping into her room. Poking out her tongue in response, she waited for him to continue.

'The only way you would sleep during those two awful weeks of teething was if I held onto you and walked around. I don't know how many miles I managed around the apartment those nights. And once you'd finally fallen asleep, you would scream bloody murder if I put you down in the cot. So I spent quite a few nights sleeping upright in the study chair with you on my chest,' finished her father philosophically. 'You and your brother definitely share that need to be vertical.'

'But at least this time you've got help,' she pointed out, marvelling at how her father had managed her crying for two weeks. Two nights of Sebastian and she'd already had enough!

'An excellent point my dear. And it's not bad help, wouldn't you agree?!'

Rolling her eyes at his comments, she leaned back in her chair as she rubbed her neck. 'This test is going to be the death of me.'

'Nonsense. You'll blitz it just like you always do.'

'Thanks Dad.'

'No sweat kiddo,' he responded as he leaned down and brushed her forehead with a kiss before leaving the room, no doubt to clock up the miles around the apartment.

The next time she heard from anyone was when Kate peeped into her room two hours later. 'How's it going?'

'Oh just marvellously,' she responded sarcastically. 'I'm sure that 1 does not equal 1 for some of these questions!'

Sliding a finger into Sebastian's mouth, rubbing his gums in an attempt to sooth them, Kate smiled sympathetically. 'I'm not much help in that department I'm afraid.'

They chatted a little longer, before Kate left the room, exchanging hopeful glances with Alexis that the sleeping Seb in her arms might stay like that for a little while longer.

Reviewing her notes for what felt like the millionth time, Alexis decided that she'd done absolutely everything that she could, and that it was time for bed.

Shutting her door to block out the renewed crying of her brother, and the low murmurs of her father and Kate, Alexis changed into her pyjamas and slipped into bed. 'Ah, this was good,' she thought to herself.

Struggling to fall asleep as her brain moved at lightning speed as the maths formulas streaked across her mind, she tried to think of something else.

But then Sebastian's whimpers became wails as he spent the next ten minutes in a full blown tantrum. Lamenting that her walls were not sound proof enough, Alexis growled softly.

She loved her brother to bits, but enough was enough! Drawing her bed covers up over her head, she willed herself to sleep. She was never having kids!


	10. Valentine's Day

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

***************

Richard Castle was a man on a mission as he marched up the police station stairs. He'd finished his 'work experience' under Kate Beckett just under two months ago and hadn't stepped inside the precinct since.

Throwing open the entrance doors, he marched through the foyer. It was Valentine's Day and his woman was working. 'Who the heck works on Valentine's Day?' he muses. She'd pulled the weird case of victims posed in letters of the alphabet, and had spent the last night at the station working.

It was now late afternoon on the day for lovers and Rick Castle was damned if she was going to spend that night with a case yet again.

Detective Kate Beckett had been reluctant to share the fact that she was currently dating him – though the word seemed immature; "seeing him", he decided was a better choice – with the whole world, and thus her two loyal detectives didn't know about their new relationship.

That was about to change he swore as he strode into the bullpen.

Taking in the tired looks of the three detectives huddled around a whiteboard with various bits of paper and photos attached to it, he decided to make his move.

***************

Kate Beckett is alerted to the presence of her boyfriend – no, the man she was currently seeing she decided, though sometimes she wondered why – when Detective Esposito greets him.

Turning, she sees her man coming straight at her with a very determined look on his face. _This was not going to be good_.

Reaching Detective Kate Beckett at long last, Richard Castle promptly pulled her toward him, slipping his arms around her back to hold her close as he bent down and kissed her. An initial moment of shock-induced lack of movement is soon resolved as Beckett wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, forgetting where she was and who was watching.

When they parted for air, Castle slid his hands into her back jean pockets to keep her close as she rested her hands on his chest, slowly regaining her surroundings.

When she came to the realisation that she'd been thoroughly snogged – and an active participant in it too! – in front of her colleagues, Beckett's hands formed fists as she lightly punched Castle's chest.

Making a move to step away, but finding herself restrained and unable to do so, Beckett makes do with turning her head to her two detectives who have huge grins plastered on their faces. Detective Ryan even dared a wolf whistle.

Unable to think of appropriate words for the moment, and knowing that any attempt at an explanation was clearly now unnecessary, Beckett turned back to the infuriating man who was looking at her with a cocky smile. 'Happy Valentine's Day!' he said cheerily. 'Ready to be wined and dined?'

Opening her mouth to object, her mind already considering a multitude of excuses as to why dinner wasn't feasible, Beckett's dilemma was solved when the phone call came through. There had been another killing.

Placating Castle with a kiss on her rushed way out the door, she brushed off his questions about when she'd be back with a wave, leaving a frustrated man behind her.

***************

Trudging up the stairs to her apartment much later that night, Kate Beckett senses that something is off. Discovering her front door unlocked, her hand automatically reaches for her gun.

Pushing the door in, she enters her hallway, gun drawn. Looking for any sign of a break in or the intruders themselves, she makes her way toward her lounge room stealthily.

She lets her gun fall to her side as she takes in the sight before her. Her small dining table is decked out with candles, roses and enough cutlery and dinnerware for a three course meal. But the finishing touch was the man that sat in a chair sound asleep, snoring softly.

Smiling tiredly, she found herself glad that Richard Castle had chased after her persistently. Even when she'd knocked him back countless times and laughed off his frequent attempts at trying to procure a date from her, he'd still hung around her like a puppy dog until she'd finally consented and agreed to one dinner.

Stepping forward to wake up the man who'd obviously gone to great lengths in his preparations for tonight, she realised just why she still kept him around...


	11. Garfield

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Sebastian.

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Sebastian Alexander Beckett Castle loved everything and anything that was linked to Garfield. His favourite colour was orange, he had a teddy bear named Pooky and had a permanent Christmas wish for a dog named Odie. He had the Garfield bedspread, a huge number of Garfield toys (though his father was mostly to blame for this collection!) and huge number of Garfield comics and books, which was mostly attributed to his older sister who sent them regularly from college.

His mother had bought him _Garfield: The Movie_ and _Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties_, and as she attempted to talk on the phone one afternoon, she regretted the purchase.

Seb's current obsession with the Garfield 2 movie was to take on the persona of Rommel the rottweiler. He'd crawl around on all fours growling like a dog, snarl 'Urr, trousers' before crawling swiftly to the nearest person and biting their pants.

Leaning against the kitchen bench, Kate Beckett was speaking with her stepdaughter on the phone when she suddenly felt the now familiar sensation of a tug in her pants. Looking down at her son gnawing at her pants, Kate sighs into the phone. 'I can't wait until your brother decides to grow out of this phase, Alexis.'

'You being slobbered on again?' giggled Alexis.

'Yep. And he seems to have a particular affection for my trousers. He leaves your father's pretty much alone,' laments Kate.

'Yeah, but Dad gets the 'kill kitty!' roars, so I'm not sure which of you gets the better deal!' Kate laughs as she attempts to pull her pants out of Seb's grip. Giving up, she tries walking out of the kitchen, but Seb remains attached and she's left pulling a chomping deadweight.

She's saved when Rick Castle swoops into the room and snatches their four year old up into his arms. Roaring as he bracketed his daddy's cheeks, Seb bent down. 'Kill kitty!' as his father shakes him in his arms with a fake roar of his own.

All Alexis can hear is roaring, and so Kate quickly updates her on the situation before handing the phone over to her father. Trying to keep the phone out of reach of Seb, Castle shifts him into his mother's arms as he talks to his oldest daughter.

When a loud cry is heard soon after, Kate gestures to Castle that she'll deal with it. Dropping Seb to the floor in the lounge room to play, she steps into her daughter's room. Taking in the bright red face as Anastasia screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks, Kate leaned down and picked her up, bringing her up to lie on her chest as she whispered comforting words to help her daughter settle.

Returning to the kitchen, she grins as she spots Rick lifting up Seb to sit on the kitchen cupboard, and holds the phone to his ear so that he can talk with his much loved older sister. Seeing her brother with the phone, Shae also wants a piece of the action and puts out her hand for the phone. 'Mine!' she declares loudly. 'Shae's phone!'

Crying when she doesn't get her desired object, Shae wriggles out of her mother's arms. Placed on the floor, she runs up to her father's legs and puts her arms up to be held. Castle leant down and picked her up, resting her on his hip and away from the phone as Seb continued to talk a mile to the minute, frequent references to his favourite orange fat cat throughout.

Whining when she still didn't have access to the phone, Shae leaned forward. 'Mine. Mine. Mine.' Fed up with his baby sister's complaints, Seb handed the phone over to Shae, who gripped it with both hands, placed it to her ear and went deathly quiet.

As Rick rolled his eyes at Kate that their loud child should suddenly now be quiet, Kate steps forward and tried to encourage Shae to say something, but all she does is nod her head, before she abruptly says 'Bye' and hangs up the call, handing her mother the phone with a flourish. 'All gone,' Shae declares to her incredulous parents, as Seb declared with a sombre nod that Alexis said he had to watch _Garfield_ again.

Rick and Kate Castle exchange exasperated looks as they revel in the 'joy' of parenting!


	12. Meet the toilet bowl

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Moaning as nausea rolled over her, but feeling like she had nothing left to give, Kate Beckett hugged the toilet bowl. Trusting herself just enough to lift her head a little, she turned to the man seated on the cold tile floor next to her. 'Distract me.'

'Umm... You're still gorgeous, even though you're currently upending a week's supply of food and liquids,' said Rick Castle with a winning grin.

'Is that supposed to make me feel better?' she groaned.

'Well, I was hoping my charm might make you feel better.'

'When has that ever worked?'

'I'm not going to argue with you right at this moment if you don't mind. I don't know what will be coming out of your mouth in this direction,' said Castle seriously.

Mustering up what little energy she had remaining, Beckett sent a weak glare in his direction.

A period of silence followed, and as Beckett wondered if perhaps the nausea has finally passed, Castle broke the silence suddenly. 'Move in with me.'

Beckett looked at him incredulously, before the need to be sick curtails any response. This was not exactly how she'd planned on having this conversation she thought as she raised her head from the toilet bowl. 'Why?'

'Well I did get you knocked up, so it's the least I can do.'

'That's your reason?'

'Well, that and the fact that you're going to be needing a personal slave to put up with your whims and be at your beck and call for the next eight months,' said Castle as if it were the most logical thing in the world. 'Why not make it me that is going to have to be that sad and sorry bastard?'

As Castle rubbed the cool cloth over the back of her neck, she brushed her hair back from her face as she leaned forward once again. Perhaps moving in with him might not be such a bad thing.

'I'm not going to marry you, you know?' she said softly.

'I'm not expecting you too,' he responded just as softly. 'But I'll certainly reserve my efforts for a later date to change your mind on this point.'

Kate couldn't stop the smile that slowly formed on her exhausted face. 'Fair 'nough. No guarantees. And I've decided that my first order for my new slave is toast with bananas and sugar on it.'

'You're going to milk this for all it's worth aren't you?' said Castle as he stood up, bringing Kate with him.

'You bet I am kitten. Now get out so I can brush my teeth,' she said, hand on his chest as she pushed him backward in the direction of the door and reached for her toothbrush. Halting in his tracks, Castle looked at where Kate was currently bent over the sink brushing her teeth. 'Was that a yes?'

Toothpaste dribbling out of the corner of her mouth, Kate turned slightly and raised her eyebrows without a sound. 'A yes it is then,' he declared as he left the room, silently punching the air in victory. 'I'll just arrange for the bulldozers to come through and clean up all your mess and transport your junk to my place then shall I?'

He grins as he hears her spit out the toothpaste and yell after him. 'Castle!'

This was going to be good.


	13. Castaway

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*****************

The book launch of Richard Castle's first Nikki Heat book 'Heat Wave' finds Alexis Castle, Kate Beckett and Rick Castle standing in a small group happily chatting as they escape the spotlight for just a minute. Ever the casual gentleman, Castle has on a black suit with an open collared shirt. Alexis (in her father's eyes) looked so much more than her age decked out in an dark burgundy knee high dress, hair twirled up top, whilst Kate wore a floor length metallic blue dress, her seven month pregnant belly on show.

Their conversation halts when Castle suddenly stiffened as he heard a particular voice. Gripping Kate's arm, he whispers urgently. 'Don't you dare leave me alone.'

Wondering at the sudden change in Rick, Kate looks around before whispering into his ear to ask what in the devil was wrong with him. 'Groupie from hell,' is the only explanation he offers. Kate turns to Alexis who grins as she leant in to explain to Kate just who this 'groupie from hell' was. 'Her name is Montana Ames and she's obsessed with Dad. She sends him letters all the time, and video recordings and various pieces of personal apparel and, ah, intimate gifts.'

Castle shudders as he maintains his grip on Kate. 'I didn't think she'd be here. Godamnit. Make her go away,' he begged to Kate uselessly.

Kate grinned as she turned to Alexis. 'Need a drink?'

'Why yes I think that I do. I'll accompany you to the bar,' responded Alexis in a sugary sweet tone as she gently pulled Kate's arm. Sliding out of Castle's grip, Kate turned to him. 'We'll just be over here kitten!'

Desperately grabbing at Kate's rapidly parting form, Castle tries to follow them when he is suddenly caught in the claws of Montana Ames. 'Ricky!'

Standing at the beverage table, Alexis and Kate sip their non alcoholic drinks as they laugh at their man of the house trying vainly to escape from the clutches of the groupie from hell. The blonde was currently chattering at a mile to the hour, pawing her hands over Castle as he continued to retreat backwards as fast as he can in his bid to be away from her.

Looking desperately over at his two girls, he finds them looking at him in great amusement as they raise their glasses in his direction. Any thoughts on what to do them later for their betrayal left his mind as he shifted quickly to keep Montana's hands where he could see them.

Kate and Alexis' attention is diverted from this amusing spectacle when baby decides to have a party for one and commences showing of their moves, much to Alexis' delight, as various limbs poke outward, interesting shapes rippling across the material of Kate's dress.

The 'Baby Dance Championships' are momentarily forgotten when Castle suddenly joins them, wrapping his arms around Kate, firmly placing his hands on her swollen abdomen. As he smooths her dress over the swell, he shifts her body so that she is standing firmly between him and the groupie from hell. Castle removes one hand from Kate to pull Alexis into him, creating a shield in front of him as Montana has a hand on her hip, foot tapping away as she stares at Castle.

'This is my wife Kate,' Castle declares from behind his ladies. Kate turns her head back to him with an incredulous look, but the gentle squeeze of desperation he gives her hip has her taking pity on him and raising her hand in a wave. 'Hi, nice to meet you.'

Montana Ames wasn't convinced. She may not be the smartest tool in the shed, but she knew that something was off here. 'Where's your ring?'

'Oh I must have left it at home. That big flashy thing is so easy to forget,' said Kate sarcastically.

'I don't believe it,' declared Montana. 'You're not married. I would have been invited. And I most certainly would have certainly objected!'

'Perhaps that is why you weren't invited,' piped up Alexis.

Turning her attention to the other person in their party, Montana's face switches swiftly from anger to ultimate sweetness as she makes a realisation. 'You must be Ricky's daughter! You're so lucky to have him as a father. I'm sure he's just the most perfect Daddy in the world.'

'Well...' began Alexis. A poke in the side from her father has her reciting obediently with a fake grin. 'Yes Richard Castle is a marvellous father. The best...'

As Montana cooed over Castle at this announcement and tried to make a move for him, he shifted to make sure he was behind his 'wall', as Alexis continued to speak.

'... and Kate's a wonderful Mum too. They're going to be having a kid together real soon.'

As both Kate and Castle glared at Alexis for winding up Montana further, Montana is thinking hard to herself. She's still not sure if Castle and that woman are married, or if that kid is actually his, but knowing it could be a possibility, Montana decided to stir the marital pot. 'Did you know? I'm actually Ricky's muse for Nikki Heat?'

Laughing inwardly as she senses Castle sputtering objections behind her, Kate decides to have fun with this groupie. 'Oh, really? I didn't know that. I thought that that Ricky's muse had brains and spunk?' said Kate, emphasising her use of Ricky.

'Oh no. That's not necessary. Ricky needs a muse that provides for him in more ways than one if you get my drift,' says Montana with a huge wink. 'He gets that from me.'

'Oh I see. So you're the one that does the photocopying and the proofreading and the cleaning and all that?' asks Kate, appearing to look geniunely interested.

Sarcasm is lost on Montana. 'No, no. You've got it wrong. I'm the one that ...' But a further attempt at an explanation is prevented by the arrival of a group of fans seeking an autograph from Richard Castle.

Montana Ames turns to them and spits out venomously 'Buzz off ladies. I was here first.' But Castle wasn't willing to let his escape get away so easily, seeing as his two 'saviours' weren't being very helpful in getting rid of the groupie from hell. 'Ah, ladies. Lovely to see you all. If you'll all step this way, I'm happy to sign autographs for my number one fans.'

Seeing this declaration as a rejection, Montana bursts into tears and flees the scene. After rapidly signing various books and other items, Castle quickly moves away, dragging his 'wife' and daughter with him as both protest.

Finally clear of groupies, fans and other such people expecting anything from him, Castle turns to the two ladies who have had entirely too much fun at his expense tonight. 'You enjoy seeing me suffer don't you?' said Castle, releasing a huge breath.

'It is high up on the list of activities I find pleasurable,' admitted Kate with a grin.

'I can think of another activity that we do that would be high up on your list,' said Castle in a suggestive tone. Kate slaps her hand over his mouth with an admonishing look to prevent him from continuing as Castle laughs. 'Finish that thought and I'll find Montana personally and give her your cell phone number.'

'You'd throw me back at the wolves? Cruel!' said Castle. Knowing he wasn't going to win one against Kate, he turns to Alexis. 'And you my dear need to write 100 lines as punishment methinks. I'm the best father in the world.'

'You're the only father in the world I've got Dad,' responds Alexis with a roll of her eyes.

'Exactly, so you should be nice to me!' reasons Castle.

'As much as I would love to continue these enlightening conversations, the quicker you get out there and make people happy, sign a few boobs and read a page or two, the quicker that we can get home and I can out of these godforsaken high heels. Trust me when I say that Montana Ames will have nothing on this pregnant woman if I'm not home by midnight,' declared Kate.

'Alright Cinderella. I'm off. I'm off,' says Castle, raising his hands in surrender. Arms still raised he pointed them in his daughter's direction. 'It's your job to make sure _she _doesn't turn into a pumpkin, pumpkin.'

'Yes Dad,' said Alexis, pushing him on his way. 'Just go.'

After looking about furtively for any traces of a certain blonde woman, and finding none, Castle strolls over cockily to his agent. Passing his mother happily flirting with three men half her age, he turned to where he'd left his daughter and the mother of his child. He sincerely hoped that his next child was a boy. There was a severe lack of testosterone in the house at the moment.


	14. No means no

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*****************

Holding the phone to his ear as he commandeered lunch time, Richard Castle objected loudly as he monitored his youngest daughter feeding herself pureed pumpkin. 'No we can't do the book launch then. What are you thinking man?

Sebastian was due to finish preschool soon, and so he only had limited time to take this call and get business sorted. 'What ... what? I don't care what Gina says. We're not having the book launch then.'

'What do you mean why?' Knocking his head in an exaggerated manner, he smiles as his daughter giggles at his actions. 'Kate's due in October.'

'Due with what?' Kissing his daughter's heads as he stands up from the table to pace the room, Castle wonders where his publisher is recruiting staff from. Mars? 'Did you fail Biology 101 or something? She's due with a baby.'

'No you can't change a due date,' exclaimed Castle, throwing his arm out, before covering his eyes in disbelief.

'Gareth. Listen to me,' said Castle, stopping in his tracks as he enunciated each word. 'You want to go ahead and launch a book in October, fine. But you'll be using cardboard cut-outs, cos I sure as hell won't be there. I'm not missing the birth of my kid,' finished Castle. He smiled as Shae nodded her head emphatically at his last comment, sending pumpkin flying everywhere.

'No Gareth, my books are not my kids. My books might be Gina's kids, but I have real ones at home.'

Removing the phone from his ear, he suspends belief for a moment as he looks at the handset, before returning it to his ear. 'My god man, you need a life.'

'When Gina gets back in the office, have her call me,' ordered Castle, before he hung up the call.

'Well that was a waste of time wasn't it!' said Castle turning to his daughter, placing his phone on the table. 'And your face is just covered in filth isn't it missy. We better get you cleaned up before we pick up your brother hmm?' murmured Castle as he leant down to pull Shae from her high chair, mindful of the pumpkin seemingly adorning every inch of her. 'Did you actually eat any kiddo, or were you just playing with it?'

********************

When Gina called later, Castle was strapping his two kids into the car. 'Gina Reeves. Where in god's name do you find the assholes that work for you these days? Is there a place that offers you a prime selection of the idiots from the last decade at a discount price or something?'

When Seb happily piped up 'asshole' as Castle finished strapping him in, he covered the mouthpiece and whispered to Seb. 'That's a bad word Seb. Daddy was naughty and shouldn't have said it.'

As Shae gleefully repeated 'naugh'y daddy' over and over again, Castle found himself thankful that at least she wasn't repeating the other word as he turned his attention back to the call.

'Yes Gina. I'm still here.' Sitting in the driver's seat, he listens to her outline everything she has planned for an October launch. 'I don't care if you managed to score me a spot on Oprah. I'm not launching the book in October. End of story Gin.'

Without breaking a beat, Castle reaches his hand onto the floor in the back to retrieve Shae's dropped toy as he continued the call. 'Increased sales would be nice, but it's not worth the wrath I would face at home...'

'No offence Gina, but my marriage to you was nothing like this.'

Resting his forehead against the steering wheel, Castle sighed heavily. 'Gina. I don't know why I'm still on the phone with you. As the person whose presence you would require at all these shindigs, I am telling you once and for all... don't get me started on Oprah... No.'

Flipping his mobile shut he said 'No!' once more at the silent handset. Feeling slightly better, he plugs in his seatbelt as he adjusts his rear view mirror. 'Ready kids? Let's go and make Mummy's day shall we?'


	15. Marriage

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

******************

When young Sebastian Castle walked in the door after school that afternoon, his father noticed that he was very quiet - more quiet than usual. Brushing it off as tiredness, Castle went about the afternoon routine.

As they all sat around for dinner that night, Kate Beckett sent an enquiring look down to the other end of the table as she silently asking what was up with Seb. Receiving a shrug in response, she turned her attention toward her only son.

He appeared to be in deep thought as he shifted the vegetables around his plate with his fork. Shae and Tasha's chattering made for plentiful dinner conversation, but Seb didn't say a word. Worried, Kate asked Seb how his day was. 'It was okay,' was the quiet response.

Sharing a look with Castle, she wondered at this. Deciding that they would need to have a chat after dinner, Kate turned her attentions to her own meal.

In a rare lull in conversation Seb makes his presence known. 'Mummy?' he said softly, as Kate immediately focused her attentions to him. 'Yes sweetheart?'

'Why do you and Daddy have different last names?'

As Kate thought about how to answer this question, Seb continued. 'Annelise and Atticus' parents have the same last name, and they call them Mummy and Daddy. Shouldn't we be the same? Why aren't we married?'

As Kate opened her mouth to respond, Castle beat her to it. 'Kate...?' Turning to look at Castle, she saw his eyebrows raised in question.

In the last nine years of their relationship they'd lived together for eight, had a son together, had a daughter together, sent a daughter off to college together, and then had another daughter together.

They owned a house together, had brought furniture together and they shared a joint bank account (though it had taken Castle a while to convince her to go ahead with that!).

For all intents and purposes they were married_. Minus a piece of paper and a ring_, thought Kate. Looking Castle in the eye, she nodded her head tentatively the answer to his unspoken question.

As a huge grin spread across Castle's face, he leapt up from his chair and raced down the length of the table. Pulling his brand new fiancée up from her chair, he pulled her in for a deep passionate kiss.

'Eew,' said Tasha, covering her eyes.

'Mummy and Daddy are kissing _again_!' added Shae to no one in particular.

'No one answered my question,' complained Seb, wondering what all this fuss was about.

Breaking the kiss, Castle pecked Kate on the lips once more before he turned to Seb. 'Don't worry son. Everything will be okay now,' said Castle, arms firmly around Kate, not letting her go.

Turning in Castle's grip, Kate stood back against his chest as his arms cross over hers, hands twining together on her abdomen. 'Seb, I'm still your Mummy no matter what,' said Kate. 'The reason I don't have the same last name as you and Daddy – just like Annelise and Atticus' parents – is because Daddy and I aren't married.'

'But, that's all about to change,' declared Castle. 'Your mother and I are going to get married soon. Very soon!'

Kate had always thought that the word marriage would have her running for the hills, but as her children chattered excitedly about what they wanted to do in the wedding ('I'll wear a dress!' declared Shae), and as the man she loved tightened his grip on her, she found herself having never been more sure about anything.

A wedding was now on the cards!


	16. Meredith

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

***************

Revelling in the fact that the house was now hers for the next two hours, Kate Beckett headed to the kitchen to sneak some ice cream out of the freezer before heading to the lounge room for some mindless television.

While she loved her 'people' to bits, she was still adjusting to having them around _all_ the time. She'd just seen Martha off to a party, and Alexis and Castle were at Alexis' school exhibition evening.

Prising open the ice cream lid, she gleefully dug her spoon into the icy cold delight. This was definitely one aspect of pregnancy that she hadn't minded getting used to – cravings!

Taking her very first spoonful, she moans in ecstasy as she rolls the chocolate around in her mouth before swallowing. Going in for a second scoop, the spoon's journey to her mouth is halted by the sound of the doorbell. Inwardly growling at the interruption, she gulped down the chocolate ice cream as she stood up from the lounge. Opening the door a crack, Kate quickly steps back as the new arrival throws the door wide upon and breezes past her into the apartment.

Cursing her slower than usual brain, Kate realises that she'd seen this woman before. This was Meredith, Alexis' mother and Castle's ex-wife who, from memory, came and went as she pleased and enjoyed a fairly, um, adventurous sex life with her ex-husband when in town.

Coming back to earth, she finds herself staring at the open door. Shutting it, she turned to see that Meredith had shed her coat and was now standing in the hall decked out in skimpy designer clothes, hands clasped as she adopts an arrogant pose. Standing there in her leggings and long shirt, Kate feels seriously underdressed. 'And just where have I seen you before?' asks Meredith pompously.

'I'm Detective Kate Beckett,' said Kate stretching out her hand. 'We met last year when you visited the station.'

'Oh yes – when I solved that case for you. I do hope that I got due credit for that,' said Meredith. 'Well, I wish I could say that you haven't changed since, but it appears you've been piling on the kilos there haven't you?'

Before Kate can clarify that said 'weight gain' is actually a four month pregnancy bump, Meredith is steamrolling on. 'Now where can I find that hunky man of mine?'

'Rick is currently out,' said Kate. 'Alexis is out too,' she elaborated when Meredith didn't enquire after her daughter.

'Oh well, that is just fine. All the better for my plans,' declared Meredith. 'I was thinking that maybe I could cook a dinner for them both. A little family affair. Wouldn't you agree that that would be most delicious?' Not waiting for Kate's response, she ploughed on. 'Mind you, I haven't done it before, but I've heard it's quite easy. Now, if you will excuse me, the ladies' room is calling for me.'

Grabbing this opportunity with both hands, Kate dives for her mobile , hitting number 1 on her speed dial. 'Hello,' said squeakily-high voice on the other end.

'Castle?' asked Kate cautiously.

'Speaking!' it continued.

'Why does your voice sound funny?'

'It's seriously cool. They were doing a helium exhibition for something or other, and asked for a volunteer. How cool does this voice sound?!' he squeaked.

Pushing aside all the things she could have responded with, Kate got straight to the point. 'Rick. Meredith is here.'

'Shit,' he said, the horror he was feeling not quite translating through his squeaky voice.

'And she ain't leaving until you get here. Apparently our kid is merely a little bit of weight gain,' growled Kate. 'Shall I send her to you?' she added in a sugar sweet tone.

'Don't tell her we're here, or else she'll come down and trust me, this school does not need to meet Alexis' mother again.'

'I agree. It's bad enough that they have to deal with you,' said Kate.

'Oi,' objected Castle. 'We'll be home as soon as possible hon.'

'Better hurry. She's threatening to cook dinner for you.'

Kate spends the next forty minutes watching a one-sided conversation going on in front of her. Meredith was nowhere near the kitchen as she sat on the lounge and talked - constantly. No longer craving the chocolate ice cream, all Kate can do is sit back on the couch and prop her head up on her hand on the back of the couch as she watches the mindless drivel before her. _It was almost a soapie. Almost, _she thought to herself. _But unfortunately, this one could not be switched off. _

When Castle hurries through the door, Alexis close behind, he's ill prepared for his ex-wife to throw himself at him, plastering her face against his. Pulling her away, he turns to where Kate is resting her head on the couch cushions, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Opening his mouth to speak, his ex-wife beats him to it.

'I have a marvellous idea,' declares Meredith. 'Let's order in and have dinner together shall we?' she says gleefully, clapping her hands like a child who got an early Christmas present.

'You'll be ordering for four,' emphasised Castle, hoping that Meredith would be scared off by the fact that Kate would be present for dinner, but unfortunately it only stumps her a minute. 'If you want your little friend here for dinner, I'm sure I'll be able to manage,' she says, sending a cursory look in Kate's direction.

Meredith moves and talks at such a fast pace that Kate, Alexis or Rick are unable to get a word in edgewise. When she heads to the phone to make the dinner order (to be charged to Richard Castle of course), Castle bends down to give Kate a quick kiss. 'I am so sorry.'

'You owe me,' she hissed in response, allowing him to pull her up from the couch.

When dinner arrives, Castle carries it to the table, before pulling out a chair for Kate to sit down. Meredith moves lightening fast to push Alexis into the chair next to Kate so that Rick must sit next to her on the other side.

When Meredith takes a bite of food, Castle grabs the opportunity of a temporarily silenced ex-wife to explain the situation. 'Kate and I are now in a relationship Meredith. She's living here and she's four months pregnant. We're having a kid in June,' he completed before looking down at his own plate and taking a bite of his own food.

Even with this knowledge, Meredith refuses to be deterred, turning her attentions to Kate. 'If you ever need any mothering tips, don't you worry. You can give me a call anytime,' she declared in what she felt was a gracious tone. 'I'm quite the expert,' simpered Meredith.

'I'll be sure to contact you should the need arise,' fudged Kate as Castle sent Meredith a look of disbelief and Alexis giggled softly.

'And here's a little free tip from me to get you started. All that nonsense about newborns crying at all hours of the night?' scoffed Meredith. 'Complete and utter rubbish! Just let them get it all out, and then they'll fall back to sleep sooner or later.'

As Castle slapped his hand against his forehead, Kate manages to steer the conversation in Alexis' direction by mentioning school, before turning her attention to her plate. Pushing around the food that Meredith had ordered with no consideration to personal preferences, she looks at Castle's plate opposite her and notes capsicum. Leaning forward, she stabbed her fork onto Castle's plate and skewered all the little pieces of capsicum, her movements drawing the attentions of Meredith back to Rick once again. 'You don't like capsicum?' she queried.

'From the day I was born Meredith,' responded Castle exasperatedly. Laughing off his declaration, Meredith turned the conversation to herself once again. 'Well chickie. I'll be in town for the next few days, so I was thinking we might run riot with your father's credit card and jet off and do something together. Yeah?'

'Ah Mom, now's not exactly a good time. I've got so much on my plate at the moment with exams and everything,' said Alexis, fearful of what her mother was suggesting. 'Couldn't we just go to dinner or shopping instead? Here in New York.'

'That we could, but I'll have, ah, other plans later at night. Won't I Rick?' purred Meredith, walking her fingers down his shoulder and under the table to rest on his thigh.

Thoroughly flustered, Castle quickly removed her hand and stood up from the table, looking ready to flee this horrendous situation. 'I don't know what plans you have Meredith, but they won't be involving me.'

'Oh yeah,' responded Meredith in a tone of derision. 'You've got yourself a new little something haven't you?' Turning to where Kate is seated, head propped up and an amused expression on her face, Meredith frowns lightly. Turning, she winks in Castle's direction and whispers conspiratorially. 'But she's nowhere near our Top 10, huh kitten?'

Now standing behind Alexis, he grips the top of her chair. 'We don't share a Top 10 anymore Meredith,' said Castle with a smirk. 'You've been overtaken!' Unable to stop herself, Kate also puts in her two pence worth. 'Your Top 10 performances couldn't have amounted to much if I managed to knock them off first ten times up.'

As Meredith sputters, Alexis covers her ears. 'La-la-la. Young ears here, who doesn't need to hear or know anything about this. Could we please talk about something else?' she begged.

When Martha arrived home much later that night, and discovered that she'd missed a dinner with Meredith and Kate at the same table, she was sincerely pissed off. 'Oh you should have called me!' she raged.

'The pair of you could have exchanged mothering advice,' suggested Castle wryly, watching as she paced the kitchen, wine glass in hand.

'What are you talking about?' said Martha, narrowing his eyes at him. 'Any one would be most fortunate to have myself as a mother,' she declared, waving her hands about to emphasise her point.

'Yes mother,' said Castle patronisingly, pecking Martha's cheek as he passed her. 'I'm going to bed.'

Alone in the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning, Martha tops off her wine glass before taking a swig and muttering under her breath 'That woman!'


	17. Glass

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Author's note: **Pre-relationship.

*******************

They'd gone looking for a potential suspect, and arrived at his apartment to discover said suspect dead, lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen.

Warning Richard Castle to keep his hands to himself, and for god's sake not to touch anything, Detective Kate Beckett finds herself eating her words when she ends up with a shard of glass embedded in her hand just seconds later.

As Detectives Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito arrive to examine the scene, Medical Examiner Lanie Parish follows soon after to assess the body and organise transportation back to the morgue.

When Lanie walks into the door, it is to the sound of Kate objecting loudly at Castle's treatment of her. Following the noise to its source, she is greeted with the sight of Richard Castle gripping Kate Beckett's wrist as he holds it high up in the air.

Seeing Lanie arrive, Kate turns to her to look for assistance from her friend, but when Castle asks for a pair of tweezers to get the piece of glass out, Kate glares at her friend as she grants _his _request. 'I'm a father, and I've done this several times over. You'll be safe with me.'

'It's not you I'm worried about,' Kate muttered under her breath.

'You'll be right with this man duckie!' says Lanie as a means of farewell. 'I've got a body waiting for me.'

Seating her on a couch, and taking a seat opposite, Castle tells Kate not to move. Gripping the tweezers, he prepares to go fishing. But before he can get anywhere near her hand, she is trying to shift it from her grip.

Gripping her hand tighter, he manages to get the tweezers near her hand before she twists her body, and her hand slips from his grip. Grabbing her hand once again he looks up at her. 'You're making this hard for me Kate.'

'Not a fan of this Castle!' said Beckett through gritted teeth.

Giving up, Castle quickly shifts his position so that he is now seated with his back to Kate, his hand firmly gripping her wrist as his arm bracketed her arm against his side. All Kate could see was his back as he picked up the tweezers once again.

Kate slapped his back as he struggled to get a grip on the shard of glass. 'Stop shifting woman,' he hissed at her. 'Just hurry up and get the bloody thing out,' she hissed back.

Finally able to retrieve the glass shard from her hand, he holds it in the air victoriously. 'Victory is mine you little piece of sand and heat.' Shifting his head, he realises that Beckett has her hand firmly fisted on the back of his shirt.

'Ah Detective Beckett. Beckett? Kate?' he finally tries as she unscrunches her eyes. 'I got it.'

Realising that the glass shard was now gone, Kate quickly let go of his shirt and tried to put some distance between them. 'Hmph,' she said. 'Took you long enough.'

'Well if you hadn't moved so much, I would have had it out in the first ten seconds,' said Castle, turning back to face her, but still holding on to her hand. 'Scared much?'

'Not at all,' said Kate brushing him off his comments and standing up. 'Could I have my hand back please?'

'I'm not quite finished being a doctor yet. I've got to kiss your boo-boo better!' he declares, pulling on her wrist.

'Don't you dare Castle!' warned Kate as she vainly tried to retrieve her hand, but winces when a flash of pain surges from her wound. Castle quickly raises her hand to his mouth as he gives it a quick kiss. 'There we go! All better!' says Castle cheerily.

Kate Beckett is still looking down at their joined hands when Detective Esposito enters the room and calls for her attention. 'Boss, you've got to see this.' Retracting her hand from Castle's grip, she follows her detective into the kitchen.

Castle sits still a moment before he gets up from the lounge, slides his hands into his pocket and whistles as he heads toward the kitchen. All in a day's work!


	18. Gone with the Wind

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*************

Richard Castle is beside himself. Watching Detective Kate Beckett interviewing their suspect in the interview room, he knew the guy had done it.

Remembering that Beckett was fitted with a tiny inner earpiece, Castle makes a grab for the microphone and says loudly 'He did it Beckett! He did it!'

Looking through the window as Beckett jumped in her seat and placed a hand over her ear at his sudden and, ah, rather loud announcement, before turning to glare at window, Castle hastily hands microphone back to the tech man with a sense of foreboding. 'Uh oh.'

'Who let him near the mic?' fumed Beckett entering the room, pulling the earpiece out of her ear, as everyone – even Castle – took a step back in the face of her wrath. Gathering up the confidence he'd momentarily lost, Castle stepped forward again. 'But I solved it!' he crowed.

'Castle. The man has a rap sheet ten pages long. It doesn't take a genius to realise that the odds are pretty much in our favour that he's most likely done something. And if you'd been paying attention, you'd have known that I already knew he... did... it...' said the irate detective, the last three words punctuated by Beckett poking her finger against Castle's chest.

'Ouch, Katie. You hurt my feelings,' moped Castle with a downturned lower lip, as he rubbed his chest.

'Castle, go away. Get out of my sight for just a little while will you,' said Beckett wearily, brushing her hair from her forehead.

'But where shall I go? What shall I do?' asked Castle dramatically.

'Frankly, my dear I don't give a damn,' said Beckett, turning and walking out of the room confidently with a hidden smile on her face, leaving behind an 'ooh!'-ing Castle and a round of applause.

_Detective - 1. Writer - 0._


	19. Drool

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

********************

When Nicola Wiseman had volunteered to drop of Sebastian Castle's homework diary, after he'd left it at her sister's place following a play date with her nephew that afternoon, she had not expected that she would be knocking on the door of Richard Castle – Derek Storm and Nikki Heat famous, millionaire Richard Castle – and entering his home.

The door had been opened by a striking woman who had looked at her questioningly. 'Hi, can I help you?'

'Ah yes. I'm Nicola Wiseman – Jackson Migliore's aunt. Your son left his homework diary at Jack's place, and Anna asked me to drop it off on my way home.'

'Oh, of course. Thank you. I'm Kate Beckett, Sebastian's mother,' said the woman in reply, holding out her hand to be shaken. 'If you want to step inside and wait a moment, I'll grab Seb.'

Nicole watched as Kate Beckett called out 'Seb, honey!' as she made her way down the hallway. Her call was answered by a 'What Mum?' as a young boy poked his head out of a room. 'Jack's aunt's come by to drop off your homework diary.'

Nicola thought it was cute when she saw Seb get a sheepish look on his face and admit that he'd forgotten about it. 'Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you I left that there.'

'Really?' said his mother with a smile. 'Come on, let's go say thank you.'

As mother stood with her hands on her son's shoulders in front of her, Nicola marvelled at the well-mannered child who thanked her. But the next thing she knew, a man was heading toward them with a kicking and laughing child slung over his shoulder, fireman style, with another child in hot pursuit.

Reacting to this sudden arrival, she involuntarily uttered 'Jesus!'

'Not quite. Richard Castle,' said the new arrival with a grin, extending one hand. At this response, and as she shook his hand, Nicola wondered if she'd died and gone to heaven. She was shaking Richard Castle's hand – _the _Richard Castle's hand. This was heading right to the Number 1 spot on her 'Things I did before I died' list.

She's drawn out of her pleasant daydreaming when she hears the calls of 'Daddy! Daddy! Let me down!' and realises that she's still gripping _his_ hand.

'Sorry,' she mutters, releasing said body part in embarrassment, and then watching as Richard Castle flipped the young girl right in his arms, seating her on her hip. 'And you are?'

'Nicola Wiseman. I'm Jackson Migliore's aunt,' she replied, a little breathlessly.

'Ah yes, Jack's Aunt Nikki,' he says in recollection as Nicola inwardly melts into a puddle. _He knew who she was!_ 'Pleasure to meet you.'

'Likewise.' Knowing she needs to get out of here before she embarrasses herself any further, Nicola makes her farewells and heads for the door.

Turning she takes in the image of the Castle family in front of her. It was always a disappointment to find out that your favourite singer or actor was nothing like how you'd held them up to be, but it appears that her favourite writer was everything she thought he was – and more. He was a family man, and how cute had he looked with that little girl wrapped around his leg?

Walking the two blocks to her house, Nicola shook her head at herself. Here she was, a grown woman, drooling over a man who just happened to be the father of her nephew's friend.

_Get a grip on yourself Nic!_ she admonished, before her thoughts strayed once again. Her dreams were going to be sweet tonight!


	20. Cemetery

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*****************

It was a sunny June day as a heavily pregnant Kate Beckett seats herself with her back up against her mother's gravestone as she looks around. It's been seventeen years today since her mother died, and it still didn't seem to get any easier.

She still remembered the funeral. It had been an overcast day, the greyness of the clouds suiting the depressing feel all around her. She'd stood next to her father sombrely and swore that she'd find the person who did this to her mother. If there was one thing worse than having your mother taken from you, it had been not knowing why.

As she brushed away tears from her eyes, Kate found herself wanting to talk to her mother – something she hadn't done in a very long time. Rubbing her belly, Kate starts talking softly. 'You're going to be a grandmother Mum. I'm due in a few weeks, and I know that you would have been so excited at the prospect. And the father of the child?' laughed Kate equally softly. 'You would have liked him Mum. He's got that sense of humour and spunk you like.'

Still laughing through her tears, she continues. 'He bugs me to no end, and on the rare occasions that we do manage a civilised conversation, it's like he's a whole other person! At first he was such a pain in the butt when he joined me at the station. But then we actually did need his help with some of our cases, and frankly some of them we couldn't solve without him. Not that I told him that though!'

Turning serious now, Kate shifted so that she could trace the letters on the gravestone. 'And now, I'm not sure what _I'd_ do without him. It scares me needing someone this much Mum.'

Hoping for fleeting moment that she might somehow get a response, Kate then turns and fits her back against the gravestone once again. Taking in a deep breath, she closes her eyes and raises her head to the sun, allowing herself to just stop and sit. Funnily enough, she was starting to feel better. Her musings are interrupted a little while later when a shadow falls across the grave. 'Hello Katie.'

Opening her eyes to the new arrival Kate looks up in surprise. 'Doug?'

'The one and only,' the man responded with a smile much like Kate's, tempered by a degree of sadness, as he leans down and helps Kate to her feet, before leaning down and placing his flowers on the grave. 'Seventeen years today,' said Doug Beckett as he rose once again to stand next to his sister.

'Seventeen years,' echoed Kate, wrapping her arms around her pregnant form. In the seventeen years she'd been coming to the grave, she'd managed to avoid people. When she was younger, she'd intentionally gone alone without her brother and father when she visited her mother's grave, but as she got older she appreciated the peace and quiet as she visited the cemetery. She knew that Doug came and left flowers when he could get out here, but this was the first time in the seventeen years since the funeral that she'd been at her mother's gravestone with him.

'How have you been Katie?' asked her brother, breaking into her thoughts.

'I've been good,' she responded softly. 'It's been a long time,' continued Doug awkwardly. 'Too long.'

As Kate nodded her head, she brought her eyes up to meet her brother's – the brother she'd always admired growing up, being that a 'huge' four years old than her. 'How have you been Doug?'

'I've had better days,' he responded shortly as the Becketts stood side by side, both with their arms crossed as they look down at the gravestone in front of them. 'You coming to Dad's later?' asked Kate softly.

'I'll be there,' he said with a smile. 'After all, never tarry ...'

'... never late,' finished Beckett with a smile, getting a flashback to happier times.

Brother and sister look down silently at their mother's grave, both lost in their own thoughts. 'There's someone I want you to meet,' said Kate suddenly a little while later, breaking the silence between them.

'Going to finally meet your mystery man, am I?' said Doug, switching to his normal persona.

'Is there anything you don't know about my life?' asked Kate incredulously. 'I swear, you know about some things before I even do.'

'It's hardly my fault that your Detective Ryan's sister just happens to be my best friend's wife now is it? You'd be surprised how much I know,' he said conspiratorially.

'Oh yeah?' challenged Kate. 'Like what?'

'I know for a fact that you're pregnant,' declared Doug smugly as they both turned from the gravestone and began walking back to the path.

'Anyone with two eyes – hell even one eye will suffice – can tell I'm pregnant you idiot,' said Kate good naturedly throwing her arms out gesturing at her considerable girth. 'And slow down, you're walking too fast,' said Kate, lightly slapping his arm. 'Carrying a wide load here!'

As they reached the path to lead them back to the entrance, Doug stopped and turned to his laughing baby sister. 'It's good to see you again Katie. Phone calls don't quite cut the grade.' Shielding her eyes from the sun, Kate nodded her head as she agreed. 'Let's not wait too long til next time shall we?'

'Mmm,' was the response as both Becketts were serious for a moment. Before they commence walking once again, Kate turns to the grave at the end of the line. 'Bye Mum,' she whispered as Doug waves his own hand in farewell.

Both feeling considerably lighter, they make their way down the path as Doug starts up a conversation once again. 'So when am I going to meet the guy who knocked you up?'

'Don't call him that,' admonished Kate, hitting her brother's arm. 'And knowing Rick, he's most likely in the car park.'

'I thought you always came here alone?' said Doug. 'I do - I did,' said Kate, with a small roll of her eyes. 'But try telling _him_ that!' For all his sister's bravado, Doug sensed the underlying gratitude, though she'd never admit it. His sister had an emotional barrier up that was as hard as nails – and just about as near impenetrable.

Kate and Doug fall into an easy banter as they cross the carpark. Neither Beckett handled their grief well and both were glad to leave the confines of the cemetery. Leading her brother to her car, she notes the form of Richard Castle leaning against the side. Said person unfolded himself and stood up as she made her way over. 'Rick,' she said, a slight trace of hopelessness and inevitability in her tone.

'Kate,' was his equally short response as he smiled, then wrinkled in brow in question at the person standing behind her. 'I'd like you to meet someone,' said Kate, arm outstretched to the new arrival. 'This is my brother Douglas Beckett.'

'Call me Doug,' said Kate's brother as he firmly shook Castle's hand, as Castle can finally put a face to a name. 'So you're the poor guy that my sister managed to entrap.'

Both men ignore Kate's indignant squawk as Castle answers Doug. 'What can I say? I'm Oscar Wilde,' said Castle with a winning grin.

'What, gay?' said Kate with an 'oh!' as Doug added 'I know you're a writer, but come on your books ain't poetry!'

'Sheesh, there's two of you,' muttered Castle as he collected himself. 'I meant she was able to resist anything but temptation!' he said, cockily pointing at himself.

When Kate slapped his chest, and Doug snorted loudly, Castle also grinned as they all had a good laugh. Easily pulling Kate into his embrace, he asks her softly 'You okay?' Kate smiles as she turns her face upward. 'I'm okay.'

As they kiss, Doug covers his eyes and declares loudly 'Oi, brother over here that does _not_ need to see his baby sister getting kissed!'

'Suck it up bro!' was the only response he got!

_Far above them, Johanna Beckett looks down at her two children bantering in the carpark. It had been a long time since she had seen them both this happy. While it hurt that she couldn't be with them, she was glad that at least they had each other..._


	21. Dedication

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*************

It was a guilty pleasure of Kate Beckett's to read Richard Castle's books. She owned every single one of them, and while she would never advise him of it (after all Richard Castle's head was big enough as it was) it was definitely an enjoyable exercise to slip into bed and unwind at the end of the day with a book of his.

Now that she shared an apartment with the author himself, it was getting harder and harder to hide the fact that she _still _read his books. But tonight, she was safe in the knowledge that Castle was out for the evening, and so she was was currently curled up on her side in bed, blankets pulled toastily around her as she delved into a book of his.

She was so engrossed in the story that she didn't realise that Richard Castle had arrived home until he suddenly jumped onto the bed and plucked the book out of her hands, startling her as he did so. 'I see you're reading a Richard Castle book my dear,' said that infuriating man with a smug grin on his face. 'Any good?'

Determined to get a one up on him, Kate sat up in the bed, sitting up against the pillows as she shrugs her shoulders. 'Can't say it was that good.'

She's unnerved when the only response she gets from Castle is a serious expression. _Surely he knew she was joking? _She watches as he sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully closing her book and putting it aside. Worried now, Kate places an arm on his arm. 'Rick...?' she asks worriedly.

When Castle's only response is to hand her a square package wrapped in brown paper, Kate looks at it dumbly. 'What...?' He jostles it in front of her until she finally takes it as he says softly 'Open it'.

Following his orders, Kate rips the paper off carefully. Before her is a book with Richard Castle's face on the back. Flipping it over to the front, she takes note of the title. 'It's your new book,' says Kate in awe running her hands over the cover. 'It's your first Nikki Heat book.'

She brings her face up to look at Castle's. His face shows no emotion as he gestures in her direction and simply tells her 'Read it'. Wondering at his sombre expression, Kate opens the book to the first page. She can't stop the tears pooling in her eyes as she reads the dedication in front of her.

_This is dedicated to the three_

_most important people in my life:_

_My mother Martha,_

_My daughter Alexis, and_

_My love Kate._

Raising her eyes to his once again, Kate is at a loss for words as Castle opens his mouth to speak. 'Contrary to popular opinion, this is not something I say often or easily,' he said, taking a deep breath. 'I love you Kate.'

As the book fell forgotten to the sheets, Kate launches herself forward to the unsuspecting Castle who falls onto his back on the bed, Kate's form on top of him. Laughing at her exuberant response to his declaration, Castle brushes her hair from her face as he says it once more: 'Love you.' Kate's only response is to lean down and kiss him – several times over.

*************

Two hours later finds Kate Beckett snuggled up against Richard Castle's naked chest reading _Heat Wave. _She's pretty much ignoring her lover as she flicks through the pages, engrossed in the story. It was a little strange reading about a character based on herself, but she had to admit that Richard Castle was good – very good. _Not that he needed to hear that!_

Her reading pleasure is interrupted by Castle's hand covering up the words on the page. Swatting them away in annoyance, Kate continues to read. When the hand returns, she pulls the book out of reach of him and reads from afar. But when he starts tickling her, she can't help it when the book falls from her grip and Castle snatches it up.

Giving up, Kate turns and crosses her arms over Castle's chest, resting her head on her interlaced fingers as she looks up at her man. 'So enlighten me. What is more important than me reading your latest book?' she queried with a raised eyebrow.

'Well,' he hedged with a grin. 'I was kind of hoping to hear you say it back to me.'

'You really know how to blow a moment don't you?' said Kate in response, rolling her eyes. 'I do have my moments!' was his certain response.

'Tell you what,' bargained Kate. 'Give me the book back and I'll declare my love for you.' Knowing Castle for as long as she has, she recognises his facial expressions, and so as Castle's face falls at her declaration, Kate feels a little guilty. He was opening himself up to her and here she was laughing him off.

Pulling herself up, Kate tries to catch Castle's eyes, but he's looking anywhere but at her. Softly gripping his chin, she turns his face to hers. Staring into his eyes, she bites her bottom lip as her other hand brushes his cheek. Dropping a soft kiss to his lips she utters the words he's been waiting to hear.

'You're just saying that,' said Castle in response, doubt present in his eyes. 'Just cos I pushed you into it.'

'Drop it for a minute, Rick,' said Kate sharply as she got his attention back on her. 'I love you,' she said honestly, looking at him intently.

'I love you too,' said Castle softly in response as he wraps his hand around her neck and pulls her down to him as they share a kiss full of love, passion and hope for the future.

*************

_All together now: Aaaawwwww! _


	22. I love my mother

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

***************

When Kate Beckett had suddenly gone into labour three weeks early, Richard Castle found himself being woken up by a panting woman slapping his shoulder. It took him a few seconds to get his head around what was happening before he finally realised that Kate was telling him that she was in labour – _now!_

It was just after 11pm that night as he flew out of bed and grabbed the hospital bag from the closet, pulling on clothes. Quickly rubbing Kate's back as she bent over the bed, Castle dashes to his mother's room. Finding the room empty, he swore. _Now was not the time for his mother to be out and about. _Hearing music, he makes a run for the lounge room. There stood his mother with a glass of wine in her hand, as she swayed to the music softly wafting out of the CD player. Removing the glass from her hand, Castle grabs his mother's shoulders as she tries to dance with him. 'Mother!' he calls, already missing his eldest daughter's presence. _Damn college! _

'Yes dear?' said Martha dreamily. 'Kate's gone into labour. I need you to watch Shae and Seb for me.'

'What now? Can't it wait til morning?' objected Martha.

'No mother, it cannot,' responded Castle exasperatedly. 'Shae and Seb should sleep through the night, and then all you need to do is occupy them tomorrow. I'll give you a call from the hospital about when I'll be home. Do you understand what I'm telling you Mother?'

'I understand completely,' said Martha, lightly slapping his chest. 'I have been relegated babysitting duties for my lovely little grandchildren as I await the arrival of another grandchild.'

'Good,' said Castle with a sigh. 'Please be careful.'

Any response from Martha is stopped by arrival of Kate in the doorway. 'Rick,' she ground out in pain. 'We really need to get to the hospital. Now!' she cried as she gripped her abdomen as another contraction ripped through her.

Pointing his finger in his mother's direction with a final warning of 'behave', Castle sprints for the bedroom, picks up the bag and after quickly checking on Sebastian and Anastasia before he races to Kate's side and helps her to their car, breaking several speeding laws on his way to the hospital.

***************

Ten hours later, Kate Beckett gives an almighty scream and crushes Richard Castle's hand in a vice grip as she pushes through a contraction and her child leaves her body. Falling back against the pillows with a pant, Kate feels Castle wiping her forehead as she struggles to regain her breath. _Something was wrong. _'Rick,' she said weakly. 'The baby...'

She sees the horrified realisation in his eyes as they realise that their child has not yet cried. Unable to see or move, Kate pushes her hand against Castle's chest with a silent plea for him to find out what was going on. The new baby Castle wasn't breathing. As Kate cries through passing the afterbirth, doctors were working furiously on the baby. '... breathing... not pinkening up... floppy...'

The baby is whisked from the room without a word as both Castle and Kate look about frantically. 'What's going on?' Nurses around them start to clean up as Kate grips Castle's hand. _Was their baby going to be okay?_

The next hour was the longest hour of Kate Beckett and Richard Castle's life. Kate is sitting in her bed, looking but not seeing, whilst Castle is unable to stop moving, shifting between sitting in the chair, standing against the wall and looking out the window. When the door opens and their doctor enters their room, both look fearfully at the new arrival. Seeing the smile on the doctor's face, Kate gets her hopes up as she grips Castle's hand once again. 'Your baby is fine,' Dr Sewell reassures them.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Kate hugs Castle fiercely as the doctor continues to speak. 'She's in ICU and will need to remain in an incubator for a few days, but everything looks fine. You have a brave little girl.'

'It's a girl,' said Kate with a laugh brushing the tears from her eyes, and reaching up to brush the tears running down Castle's cheeks too. 'We've got a baby girl...'

***************

When Richard Castle stepped off the elevator and stepped onto his floor, almost 24 hours after he'd last left it, he tiredly makes his way down the hall. It had been quite a day today. Standing next to the little incubator and slipping his hand through to touch his newborn daughter's tiny fingers for the first time, he'd felt that he could conquer anything.

He'd called Alexis that afternoon with the news that she had another baby sister, and couldn't stop the tears that ran down his cheeks as he shared the news. He'd lost count of the times he said 'I love you' to his eldest daughter. Putting his keys in the lock, Castle decided that all he wanted to do was kiss his two remaining children, tell them he loved them, and catch some sleep.

Stepping into his apartment, he realised that his night was going to be nothing like he had visualised. _Richard Castle, meet chaos. Chaos, Richard Castle._

Seb was running around like an Energizer Bunny as he heard Shae's cries from the kitchen. _It was after 10pm. What were they doing awake? _The cries move into the lounge room as his mother appears with his distraught daughter in his arms. As Seb ran into his legs, gave them a quick hug and then ran over to a lounge and started jumping on it, Castle turns to the new arrivals. 'What in the devil happened here Mother?'

Happily placing the squalling bundle in his arms, Martha offers her reasoning. 'Now this is why we have nannies!' Resting a squirming Shae against his chest, Castle sees that she is beyond overtired. 'Why aren't they asleep? It's way past their bedtime.'

'Believe me, I tried,' said Martha on her way to the liquor cabinet. 'They didn't want to sleep.'

'Mother,' said Castle loudly, speaking over the sound effects of a jumping and 'flying' Seb and a crying Shae. 'What did you feed them today?'

'Oh, nothing out of the ordinary,' said Martha waving her hand, head still buried in the liquor cabinet. 'They were very good. Ate their breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus they were so good that I gave them a treat or two.' Raising her head and seeing the look on her son's face, Martha pushed past him with her necessities. 'Hey, I'm a grandmother. I'm supposed to spoil them!'

'What on earth did you give them? Red cordial and sugar?' asked Castle incredulously. 'That and a little milkshake,' responded Martha factually. 'Plus Seb got soft drink for dessert.'

'You gave a four year old soft drink?'

'Well it was in the fridge!' defended Martha.

'When have you ever seen the kids drinking soft drink?' As Martha just shakes her shoulders and babbles a nonsensical answer, Castle gives up. 'How on earth did you manage last time? Oh that's right, Alexis was here.'

'I don't like your tone,' said Martha peering at her son down her nose. 'Now if you will excuse me, this grandmother needs some down time!'

Watching his mother leave with a disbelieving expression, Castle now turns his attention to his two children. Fetching a dummy for Shae, Castle inserts said object between her lips as he re-enters the lounge room. Snatching up Seb into his arms as he flies by, Castle finds himself with an armful of cranky children. Seating himself on the lounge, he tries to keep them both in his arms and will them to sleep, but his only son is having nothing of it. Fed up with Seb's kicking and squirming, and as Shae spits out the dummy, Castle sets his son free to roam the floors once again as he stood up.

Placing the dummy back in his crying daughter's mouth, Castle looked at his little fireball who was back to his running – no end in sight. Hoping that he would tire soon, Castle began to pace the lounge room. Catching Shae's dummy as she spat it out again, he held it in her mouth as he just kept telling himself: _I love my mother, I love my mother, I love my mother... _

***************

When the phone rang two hours later, Richard Castle groaned. Just seconds ago he'd been able to sit down and finally stop. Shae was finally asleep cuddled into his chest, and Seb was sprawled over the couch next to him, head resting on his knee in slumber.

Thankful that his jacket was just in reach, Castle carefully moved his arms to grab the jacket and slip his hand into a pocket and retrieve his phone. _If he didn't move suddenly, they wouldn't wake up! _Flipping open the phone, he raises the handset to his ear. 'Hello?' he said tiredly.

'Natasha!' said the voice on the other end. Recognising the excited voice as Kate's and knowing that she had just said something, but unable to comprehend exactly what it was, Castle scratched his head. 'I'm sorry hon. You'll have to speak English. I'm not quite processing anything at the moment,' said Castle, struggling even to get those words out.

'Natasha – how do you like that for a name?' clarified Kate.

'Ah, sounds good,' said Castle thinking hard. 'Could we talk about this tomorrow?'

'Ah sure,' said Kate.' Are you okay?'

'Just dandy,' said Castle looking down at his two comatose children. _What lovely little angels they looked like asleep! _'How about you?'

Listening to her conversation, and wondering at where her energy has come from, Castle has to shake himself awake as his head drops onto his chest. Wrapping up the call with an 'I love you' and a promise to bring in her favourite shirt tomorrow, Castle hung up the call.

Snapping the phone shut, he threw it onto the cushion next to him, not caring as it bounced and fell onto the floor. Resting his head back against the couch, he mused that he really should move, but for the life of him, he didn't have the energy!

His last thought before he slipped into slumber was that tomorrow he was going to have to do this all again – and at the hospital!


	23. Hollywood Uncovered

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

**Author's Note 1: **In response to _TaleWeaver's _request.

**Author's Note 2: **You'll need to read this story as if you were the television presenter for a midday gossip show. Your name is Cissy Clarkson, and you're the host of _Hollywood Uncovered_ about to go on live. That's the angle this chapter is coming from!

*******************

_Spotlights criss-cross over the set as the Hollywood Uncovered theme music plays. A beam is focussed on centre stage as a revolving door begins to move and Cissy, dressed in a floor length, sleeveless dress, steps out and waves at the camera. _

Hello guys and girls! This is Cissy bringing you the latest from Hollywood: who's married, who's divorced, who's pregnant and who's been caught out! It's all about what is Hot and what is Nnnooootttt!

_Taking a pause to appreciate the cued applause, Cissy smiles at the camera. _

I've got some fabulous stories for you today, but up first, we're going to check out Richard Castle.

Most of you know him as the author of the hugely popular Derek Storm and Nikki Heat books. Don't you just love them?

Well guess what? 20th Century Fox had just bought the rights to all his Derek Storm books – and they're planning for filming to commence in 2021. No word yet on who's they've got their eyes on to play the lead, but I know one thing for sure – they'll have to be H-O-T. Hot!

_Walking across the set to the right, Cissy turns and flashes a megawatt smile at the camera. _

Richard Castle is such a hard man to find! He gives plenty of interviews and you'll see him at launches and various shindigs, but when it comes to his private life – it is hands off!

One thing we do know for sure is – and sorry ladies – this man is taken. He has a long time partner Kate Beckett, who is rumoured to have been the muse for Nikki Heat. She also works as a detective - still!

And in a world where one child is cute and two children are plenty, Richard Castle's ever growing horde of children is quite something!

He has a daughter Alexis from a previous marriage, and three children with his partner Kate Beckett named Sebastian, Anastasia and Natasha.

Could you imagine? Four Castle children?! No word yet if there will be baby number five, but we'll keep an eye out to see if there is a little bump to give it away.

_Cissy takes two steps to the left and stands beside a huge screen as an image comes up. _

We couldn't find many pictures of the Castle family, but we did manage to find these three gems: here's Richard Castle at the launch of his latest Nikki Heat book 'Heat Rising' with his eldest daughter Alexis. Whoo – that is some redhead! I have it on good authority that Miss Castle here is studying psychology – of all things – at college, and is nearing the end of her run.

Wait until you see the next picture – totally cute.

_The photo of Castle and Alexis is replaced by a photo of Castle holding a child sound asleep, nestled into his shoulder, as he walks down the streets of New York. _

Aaww. See what I mean? I'm pretty sure this is Natasha. Let me check my notes. Yes, it's the baby of the family – four year old Natasha Castle.

_Looking straight down the camera, Cissy flashed her megawatt smile once again as the photo changed to show the Castle family walking down the street. _

We really struggled to find a family shot of the ever-expanding Castle family, but we prevailed!

It's three years old, but here we are: we've got a baby Natasha in the sling on her mother's chest, that's Sebastian on his father's shoulders, and last but not least we've got Anastasia doing a runner out front. Looks like quite a little spitfire that one! Oh yes, and there is Alexis off to the side talking on her phone.

_Leaving the screen behind her, Cissy walks to the other side of the set as she talks to the camera._

I don't know about you, but Richard Castle is my type of leading man! When they announced that the Derek Storm books had been picked up as movies at the press conference two days ago, all of us journalists went into such a frenzy. Would Richard Castle be making the transition to movies? Acting is in his blood after all, as his mother is has-been actress Martha Rodgers.

I knew that you – my dedicated viewers – would want to know the answer to this burning question, and so I asked it.

_Standing still, Cissy leans slightly forward to the camera. _

I'm sorry ladies, but there will be no day in the near future where we can see Mr Castle shirtless.

_Stepping back, Cissy smiles down the camera once again. _

Coming up after the break, an announcement yesterday that Vivienne Jolie-Pitt is set to be the star of an upcoming movie about refugees.


	24. Temporary Memory Loss

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

********************

When Richard Castle woke up that morning, he had a feeling that he was forgetting something. Kissing the still slumbering form of Kate Beckett next to him, he slid out of bed.

As he puttered down to the kitchen for his morning caffeine, he knew that asking Kate was out of a question as she'd spent the majority of the past week reminding him to do this particular thing. In fact, last night he'd finally snapped and told her to stop reminding him – he knew what to do!

_Now if only he could remember what that blasted thing was. _

Taking Seb and Shae to school that morning, he struggled to remember. Seb's reminder that he needed pick up ping pong balls for his diorama had him hopeful for a minute, but as he headed to the shops, Richard Castle had the sensation that this wasn't the _particular _thing he was supposed to remember to do.

With Tasha down for a nap just after lunch, he took the opportunity to get some writing done, but as he placed his fingers on the keyboard, he found himself encountering a writer's block. _Just what was that godforsaken thing he was supposed to remember?_

Giving up on work, he stood at the sink washing up the dishes by hand. He'd been doing the same thing when Kate had first asked him to do that thing for her a week ago, and so maybe – just maybe – it might come back to him now? _No such luck._

Picking up the phone, he called Alexis. Maybe she could help him out. The call rang out and he was left with her voice mail. 'Hey. I can't come to the phone right now, so if you need anything don't forget to leave a message after the beep.' _How lovely and helpful that was. _

Driving to do the school to pick up Seb and Shae, he knew it was right on the edge of his mind. Putting the car in park he felt himself getting ever so closer to remembering that thing. Hoping that by taking his mind off it, it would assist the memory process, Castle unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. Opening the door behind him, he took the straps and buckles off his youngest daughter as she scrambled out of her carseat and stood on the car floor. Pulling her into his arms as they walked across the car park, he places Tasha on the ground to run around on the grass when they arrive at the lower grade classrooms. He could feel his mind edging ever so closer but when Tasha fell over and hurt her knee his attention was diverted, and so that little sliver of information was gone.

Handing his three monsters their drink bottles when they got home – well, he'd handed them _a_ drink bottle until Shae had piped up that she had the wrong one and his attention had been drawn to the fact that he'd incorrectly handed the red bottle to Shae, the green one to Seb and the yellow one to Tasha, and after rectifying the situation he picked up Seb and Shae's school bags and headed for the kitchen. _Think! Think! Think! _

********************

When Kate stormed in the door two hours later with an envelope in her hand, Richard Castle knew exactly what he'd forgotten. Suddenly it was clear as day! Picking up Tasha from the floor, Castle flips his daughter so that her back is against his chest and she faced her irate mother. 'I can explain,' he began, ready for World War III.

'Whatever your explanation is, it had better be good,' gritted Kate taking a step forward.

'Ah....' fumbled Castle as he scooped up an objecting Seb from the couch, his book dropping to the floor at his abrupt vertical journey. Planting his son firmly on his hip, Castle flashes Kate a winning grin_. Maybe this would save him._

'Not going to work this time Castle.' _No luck._

'You wouldn't want to hurt me when I'm holding your children now would you?' pointed out Castle.

'I can see plenty of unprotected areas,' she responded in a deceptively sugar sweet tone as she made another step forward. _Gulp. _

Spotting the arrival of Shae in the room, he bent down and managed to stop her planned path to greet her mother by shifting his two bundles in his arms to now fit three. 'Now let's talk about this rationally.'

'Rationally?' seethed Kate. 'I've reminded you and told you for the past week to do this, and you swore you would remember.'

'I forgot...?' said Castle, arms now full as all three children started to squirm.

'Castle, put down the children,' warned Kate. _Oh dear, she was angry. She only ever called him Castle when she was seriously pissed off with him. _

'But they're my protection!' justified Castle, even as he allowed Seb and Shae to slip to the floor. As Seb picked up his book and growled ('Dad you made me lose my page!') Shae dashed forward to wrap her arms around her mother's legs ('Mummy's home!') whilst Tasha was happy to remain in her grateful father's arms.

'I've got contacts,' said Castle as if a genius idea had just come to mind. You could almost see the lightbulb going on above his head. 'Never mind the deadline's passed. I'll fix it. Tell you what. I'll make the call now.'

'Oh, you'll make the call alright,' said Kate as she leaned down and picked up Shae. 'That and you'll be offering your services to Mrs Croucher two floors up to attend her book reading next week.'

'Come on...' he protested at her punishment. 'Those old biddies give me the creeps.' But he refrained from further complaints as he took in the look on her face.

_Why couldn't he have remembered to post that birthday card?_


	25. Kiss

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Author's Note: **Another oneshot attempt from me.

* * *

Richard Castle and Kate Beckett were on fire.

As they threw ideas back and forth off, each finished the other's sentence as they continued to step in closer.

When Beckett finished their last line, Castle grabbed her face with both hands and gave her a hard, fast kiss.

Pulling away, he ran for the door. 'I've got it!'

He was back mere seconds later to where Beckett was rooted to the spot. 'I just kissed you didn't I?'

She nodded somewhat dumbly.

'Right.'

Meanwhile, Esposito handed Ryan a $20 note with a muttered curse.

'It couldn't be on a Tuesday?!'

* * *

_Finito. _


	26. Shower

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

**Author's Note: **This is pre-relationship, and not entirely inconceivable to happen on the show methinks.

* * *

Stepping through the door and into her apartment, Detective Kate Beckett scrunched up her nose. 'Gods I stink.'

'You looking for someone to tell you otherwise?' asked her companion jolly helpfully as he entered after her, placing her bag and thankfully stink-free jacket on the dining table.

She pinned the obnoxious man with a glare. 'Sit down, shut up and do not touch _anything_,' she ordered. 'I'm going for a shower.'

'Yes ma'am!' He even had the gall to salute her.

Pulling her shirt out from her body, she headed for her bedroom. Having Richard Castle in her apartment was not part of her plan. But when she was doused in a concoction of bait, fish guts and blood – a booby trap set by a paranoid witness that the blasted man had managed to avoid – she'd had no choice but to detour home with an unwanted escort before heading to the station once again.

Pulling off her shirt, she threw it onto the bathroom tiles and lamented that she had just lost a perfectly good piece of clothing. Even if it scrubbed up okay, she knew she'd always remember the smell, and so it was going to have to go.

As she turned the water on, she realised that it was suspiciously quiet in her lounge room. 'Castle, don't touch that,' she yelled.

'Wow, shoot,' was the startled – but predictable – response as she heard something thump. 'I wasn't touching anything,' came the sing-songy oops-I-got-caught-but-I'm-going-to-deny-it-until-the-day-I-die response.

She rolled her eyes as she heard his last muttered comment. 'Sheesh, she can see through walls!' Stripping off the last of her stinky clothes, she stepped into the hot shower.

She was rinsing off the shampoo when she heard a familiar ring tone in the distance. Deciding to let voicemail pick it up, she swiftly realised that someone else had something else in mind. 'The currently indisposed Detective Beckett's phone,' declared the cocksure voice of Richard Castle. 'How may I help you?'

'Castle,' she yelled above the running water. 'Put down the damn phone.'

'But it's Ryan,' came the equally loud yell in return.

She thought for a second. 'What does he want?'

'He said to tell you that Michael Dundas has an alibi for Sunday night,' called Castle. 'Apparently he has a standing reservation at the ... What do you mean why am I yelling?' Beckett wondered at the conversation switch. 'Beckett's in my shower.'

Oh no he didn't! 'Give me the phone Castle!' she shouted.

'Really?' came the delighted reply and she remembered just in time that she was still in the shower, and stark naked at that. 'No!' she quickly called, rescinding her previous order.

She could sense his disappointment as she scrubbed the conditioner into her hair. 'Hold Ryan on the line.'

'On it boss,' came Castle's obedient response. His voice dropped and she realised that all the shouting they'd been doing was completely unnecessary as she could still hear him clearly.

'She's still in the shower.'

'No, it's her shower.'

'Yeah?'

'No I won't send pictures,' came the indignant response. Beckett grinned, washing the last of the suds from her hair, before she heard his next words. 'I don't share.'

'I can still hear you,' she called as she turned the water off.

'Oops,' came the sheepish reply.

Wrapping a towel around her body, she stepped out of the bathroom, crossed the bedroom and walked up to the oblivious man still chattering away. Snatching the phone from his grasp, she held it to her own ear, the other hand firmly holding her towel in place. 'What have we got?'

As Ryan – with a few helpful shouts from Esposito – explained their latest finding, Beckett came to the realisation that a set of eyes were very attentive on her half naked, still dripping, body.

Hating that the look of Castle made her feel self-conscious – and he wasn't even hiding his appreciation – she tightened her arm across her chest and moved to the wall as she finished the call. 'You and Esposito get over there,' she ordered. 'If he even so much as takes the garbage out, cuff him and haul him down the station.'

'On it boss.'

Flipping the phone shut, she found Castle in the same spot she'd left him. 'What?' she asked, irritation half intended.

The man actually physically shook his head as if to clear it before responding. 'Nothing,' said Castle. 'Just realising what a domesticated little scene this is. All that's left is for the hero – me, of course – to come forward, snatch you up into his arms and ...'

She was not going to listen to this. 'Keep it for the books Castle,' she threatened, pointing the phone at him as if it were a weapon.

'You're right,' he declared thoughtfully. 'This would make a good Nikki Heat/Jarrod Blaise scene. Think we could research some more?'

She was halfway across the room when she spun back around to him. 'Who the hell is Jarrod Blaise?'

'A new character,' responded the bestselling author, becoming animated. 'Nikki's love interest in book number two will be a famous au-person who helps her solve crimes. Genius!'

'Oh no,' she said warningly, understanding dawning.

'Oh yes!' laughed Castle gleefully.

She crossed the room in brisk strides as she spoke. 'You write him out or I will personally drive you back to that house and make you babysit the witness for a week – fish fingers and all.'

'Oh you wouldn't Kate?' he said dramatically.

'Oh wouldn't I?' she said softly, stepping in close. She was millimetres away from his face when she spoke next. 'Richard?'

He swallowed visibly.

Confident she'd won that round, she backed away, gripped her towel firmly and headed for the bedroom.

'Damn,' muttered Castle, his eyes following her every step. Let her think her threats worked, he thought to himself. Besides, she'd never know about who was or wasn't in the his next bestseller until it hit the stands.

He'd express post her copy from Australia.


	27. Beautiful

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and only borrowed these characters for a short while for my own fun.

* * *

'How do I look?' asked Kate Beckett stepping into the lounge room. She twirled in a circle, the skirt flaring at her movements.

'Well that depends on the look you're going for,' responded Richard Castle contemplating the dilemma from the couch, scrutinising with a drink in hand. 'If you want the smart casual look, you're a bit too smart. But if you're looking for the casual look, it's too casual. If you wanted a formal look...'

'Cut the crap Castle,' came the hard voice as the detective crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him.

'You look beautiful dear.'

* * *

**Author's Note: **Another 100 word oneshot. Short and sweet!


	28. Meat

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and only borrowed the characters for a while.

* * *

The heavily pregnant Kate Beckett slammed the fridge door shut. Ripping back the plastic covering, she picked up the slab of meat lying on the plate.

Walking around the island bench, she slapped it onto the swollen eye of the man seated on the high stool looking mighty sorry for himself.

'Ow Kate, that hurt,' complained Richard Castle, even as his hand reached up to hold the cold meat in place. 'I was hit you know?' he added woefully.

'In my opinion, he didn't hit you hard enough,' retorted Kate, ignoring his increasingly louder protest of pain as she inched back and leaned against the table. Wrapping her long thin jacket around her swollen abdomen, she rested her crossed arms there, pinning the famous author with a glare. 'What were you thinking?'

'I wasn't?' he responded meekly, easing the meat off and squinting his eye experimentally. Nope. He put the meat back in place.

'I've been off duty for a grand total of fifteen hours – it wasn't even a full day – and you're already in trouble,' she ranted to the sheepish man. 'You only had two days left at the station. Did you really need to memento of your time there?'

Castle liked to think that he was saved by the bell – or its human counterparts – as at that moment his mother and daughter arrived home. A merry greeting fell from the younger's lips as she saw his face. 'Dad, what happened to you?' asked Alexis in a worried tone.

'I was embroiled in a one on one fight with this huge tattooed drug dealer,' he explained, complete with one handed gestures. 'I totally kicked ass.'

'Kate?' asked Alexis, shifting her to the detective, seeking the proper reason.

'Your father insulted the drug dealer's wife,' said Kate wryly. 'Said drug dealer wasn't impressed.'

'Right.'

'War wounds are so last century,' declared Martha, making her way over with a tall glass. 'Drink up dear, this will make the pain go away.'

Sipping the concoction, Castle's face screwed up in distaste. Alexis laughed at his reaction and pressed a kiss to the side of her father's head currently not throbbing. 'Good night!' she sang before leaving. 'Night Kate. Night Grandma.'

'Good night Alexis,' called Kate after the teenager. She nodded her head in Martha's direction when she too made her exit up the stairs. With just her and her injured partner remaining in the kitchen, she faced him once again.

Castle prided himself on his excellent ability to read Kate Beckett's expressions, and he knew that this one meant Explain. Now.

'At least I got a really good ending to my next story,' he offered as a reason. He ducked, anticipating a head slap, but wasn't quick enough.

'I deserved that.'

'That you did.'


	29. Kyra

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

**Author's Note: **Drawing inspiration from the episode 'A Rose for Everafter.' with Alyssa Milano guest starring as the woman who 'got away' from Castle.

* * *

Richard Castle was on the phone as he sat on a bench at the park, Tasha strapped to his chest as she happily gummed away at the padding of the baby pouch before her. His conversation over the line was put on hold for one moment when he pulled the handset back, rested it against his shoulder and called out loudly. 'Seb, don't throw sand.'

The little boy's hand froze in the air, a guilty look on his face at being caught. The sand trickled from his fingers as he met his father's eyes, deciding it best to obey.

Seb no doubt now moving onto another thing that he would most likely need to reprimand him for soon enough, Castle wrapped his call up with an 'I love you. See you soon.'

It was this comfortable image of Richard Castle reclining back on his bench under the tree eyes on the busy playground, that Kyra Blaine – now Kyra Robsen – chanced upon. 'Rick!' she exclaimed as she made her way over.

'Kyra!' replied her one time love, flying up from his seat, shocked to see the woman before him. He was running his eyes over her like he couldn't be certain she was actually there. 'How have you been?' he finally asked.

'Good,' smiled Kyra, nodding her head. 'Yourself?'

'Never better,' he replied with a nod of his own. 'Greg?'

'Great as well,' she said, awkwardness now settling upon them both as she crossed her arms over her chest. 'You here with your kids?' she asked, stating the obvious.

'Mm,' confirmed Castle, sparing a glance to the playground to check the status of his offspring, before he turned back. 'You got kids yourself?'

He saw the pain as he eyes clouded over. 'We're trying,' she said with a tight smile. 'It's a long process.'

'Gods, I'm sorry Kyra,' he said, stepping forward with an intent to rest a hand on her shoulder, but backing off at the last minute when he realised that such an action would thrust his own child into her face.

Not wanting to cause any more pain than she had no doubt already gone through, he instead stood uncertain. It was Kyra who pushed aside her personal grief and reached a finger to the baby at his chest. 'She's gorgeous,' she breathed as Tasha obediently grasped the probing digit, squeezing hard. 'What's her name?'

'Natasha,' said Castle proudly, running his hand over his baby girl's soft hair, pressing a kiss to her crown. 'Tasha for short.'

'And that boy has to be yours,' continued Kyra as she turned carefully, nodding to where four year old Sebastian was scrambling up the metal bars, followed closely by an impatient little girl. 'He looks just like you.'

'You think?' asked Castle delighted, his eyes on both.

Kyra's eyes were teasing as she turned back to him, her finger released by the drooling babe. 'So who's the unfortunate mother?' she questioned merrily.

'She almost got away, but I hung on,' he said wryly in reply.

'Are you talking about who I think you're talking about?' asked Kyra delighted.

'Depends on who you're talking about,' hedged Castle with a grin.

'How about a certain detective that is your muse?' teased Kyra. 'Another special KB – or is it KC now?'

Castle raised his left hand, showing a distinct lack of a ring. 'KB she still is. And she's my muse for a great many things,' he added seriously.

'Too much information,' laughed Kyra, covering her ears.

He was laughing too when his phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

Nodding his head in apology, Castle took a step back. Noting caller id, Castle flipped upon his mobile, kept it out of his daughter's grasp and held it to his ear. 'Greetings O Studious One,' he boomed in an exaggerated manner. 'To what do I owe this pleasure?'

All Kyra could hear was his end of the conversation. 'No, I'm not with Kate at the moment.'

'Is that all I am?' he retorted, faking offence. 'A switchboard for your rare calls home? Would you like to know where Grandma is too?'

Whatever the speaker on the other end said, Castle laughed. 'Love you too.'

'Talk soon.'

'Sorry about that,' apologised Castle as he repocketed his phone and faced the brunette once again.

'You have two daughters?' asked Kyra, unsure.

'I actually have three,' clarified the famous author, before his face crinkled in confusion. 'Didn't I ever tell you about Alexis?'

Kyra shook her head. 'First marriage might not have lasted, but I got a good little kid out of that.' He reached into his back jean pocket and emerged with his wallet.

When he pulled out a worn photo and offered it to her out of range of Tasha's grabbing hands, Kyra was surprised by the age of the girl smiling up at her. 'Not so little now, mind you,' he sighed. 'Alexis is off at college doing her dear old dad proud. You know what she's studying?' he asked rhetorically, somewhat incredulously. 'Psychology!'

'Well, she's got a good test case in you,' said Kyra gleefully.

'Why do I always fall in love with women who take every opportunity to take potshots at my ego?' lamented Castle dramatically.

As both processed what he had just said, silence fell.

Slight awkwardness reigned before another female offspring broke the silence. Shae made her presence known when she wrapped her arm around her father's jean-clad leg and looked upward, her once perfectly tied pigtails now askew, one such hair tie no doubt dug deep below a sandcastle somewhere.

'Daddy!' she called loudly. 'Thirsty ta!'

'Another one Rick?' asked a slightly shocked Kyra, looking at the little girl who had followed Castle's son up the playground ladder before, now claiming paternity.

'Trust me, we're done,' declared Castle with a laugh as he reached for the backpack on the bench, one hand on Tasha, the other pulling the required water bottle free.

As he squatted down at his daughter's level and uncapped the bottle for her, Kyra shifted on her feet, noting the time. 'Rick, it was great seeing you,' she said, clapping her hands together. 'But I need to go.'

When he stood up, his middle daughter running for her brother once again, he groaned. Pushing at his back, his other hand against his youngest daughter for counterbalance, he muttered under his breath. 'I'm getting too old for this.'

He saw no sympathy from her. 'All the best,' he said as a means of farewell.

'You too Rick,' replied Kyra warmly, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

A distance away, she turned back one last time to see the great Kate Beckett – the detective behind him now – heading toward her first love. She was talking on the phone and when she reached Rick and the kids, the mobile was passed down to the boy – she still didn't know his name – as she kissed him.

Wondering how different things might have been if her insistence for space hadn't been quite so, well, insistent all those years back, Kyra smiled ruefully. Checking her watch once again, she quickly continued on her way.

She knew one thing for certain though: h er heart would be happy if she didn't see him again for another five years.


End file.
